Thursday, 31 March 2011

Since Spring has officially arrived I am enjoying looking at all things pretty and reminiscent of this lovely season. Therefore I wanted to share with you the new Nyssa collection from Villa Nova. Pretty Scandinavian design prints on simple cotton have a great retro vibe to them. They are so sweet, relaxing and have such fresh colours, perfect for adding some Spring zest in to your homes :) The collection is out in April so here are some pretty images to gaze at in the mean time.

As mentioned before I am loving Ikea's new blog Livet Hemma, where they style their products in interesting ways to make us see that Ikea products can be really cool. Well the latest images of the the PRÄNT box shelving systems, are bang on trend as you can play around to build an irregular shelving system. I love how they painted the insides with soft pastel colours, so easy to do and so effective. DIY Ikea here I come ;)

Wednesday, 30 March 2011

I am loving the the new Poise Collection wallpapers from Superfresco Easy, they are bang on trend with their bold, fun coloured patterns. Created by Graham & Brown’s in-house design team, you couldn't expect any less from them. I love their vast variety of patterns from cool retro prints to organic styles. What's great is they come in many different colourways, so there is something for everyone ;)

So which one is your favourite? I do really like them all but if I had to choose I would probably pick the first one on the left (Nottingham). It could also be the styling shot that wins me over, that floating chair is divine.

Tuesday, 29 March 2011

For those that know me there is no hiding that I am a huge David Collins fan and so when I saw images of the Sales Apartment in MahaNakhon, Bangkok, I was in heaven. These luxurious interiors are mind blowing with a sensuous colour palette, rich textures, exquisite furniture pieces, stunning light fittings and sublime artwork. It really captures the essence of this iconic building. Every little detail has been thoroughly thought and words cannot express what I feel when I look at these interiors.

They are simply a pure surge of 'minimalist luxury', definitely at it's best.I am literally entranced and can honestly gaze at these pictures all day.Perfect for an inspirational Tuesday morning!

Monday, 28 March 2011

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend, wasn't the weather great? Sunglasses were back on and I felt it was summer already :) Anyway I thought today I would share with you one of my recent discoveries, a Danish family owned company called Nordal. All I can say is wow, they sell such lovely accessories. Personally I love their styling shots, urban chic always wins me over. They have a vast array of original pieces, as most products are designed by themselves and manufactured in the far East. This provides them with a unique collection that is always on trend.I think they have an exciting sense of style, so do check out their catalogue. There are many shops in the UK and Europe that sell Nordal products so do have a look at their website for further details.

I am so happy to have found this shop. What do you think? Do you like their look?

Friday, 25 March 2011

Sorry I didn't get to do a post today, been super busy with so many exciting things happening. I really hope you all have a lovely weekend my friends and we still get to enjoy this glorious weather. It is officially Spring and I don't know about you but I am so excited..... Don't forget the clocks go forward this weekend, yay to longer, brighter days :)

Thursday, 24 March 2011

Yes Spring is here with a bang and I am loving London, it is just such a beautiful city when the sun is shining. The days are longer, warmer, brighter and I am just so happy and feeling such a surge of energy and creativeness. Therefore today I wanted to share some pretty images from a very talented stylist, Lucyina Moodie. With so much experience in the styling world she has worked across TV, editorial, PR and advertising. I love her romantic touch it is so refreshing and very feminine, perfect for Spring, don't you think? Happy Thursday everyone :)

Wednesday, 23 March 2011

London Design Week at the Chelsea Harbour was incredible as always. Just surround me by fabrics and I am in heaven. Seriously gorgeous new collections were on display and I just found myself asking for more and more samples. I thought it would be nice to share with you a few images of some of the samples that literally blew me away. Here they are all mix matched together, I think it is pretty obvious the colours that tend to draw my attention, give me a blue, grey, lilac colour palette and I'm a happy person :)

These wallpapers from Cole & Son are just divine, I seriously wanted them all. They have a stunning collection. The ones that caught my attention were (top left, clockwise) Paradise Tree, Hartford, Tropical birds, Wild Flowers and Ludlow.

The Donghia fabric, Edith - Violet (top left) was definitely a favourite of mine. A mix of my favourite colour palette and the stitched texture is just gorgeous. The photo really doesn't do it any justice, it is one of those fabrics I literally get excited about. Bottom right is a selection of more blue tone fabrics that I love, (starting from left) Arctic Leather from Chase Erwin in colour storm, Sahco - Denim and an absolute favourite, Harlequin - Momentum Element, this is gorgeous which feels like it has a water painted effect.

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

A while ago I mentioned about my exciting press breakfast with Holly Becker and how I managed to get my hands on her brand new book Decorate. Well it's officially due for release in a couple of days, 24th March to be precise and so I wanted to share with all of you what I actually thought of it.

As most of you know I am a huge fan of Holly and her blog Decor8, she was one of my inspirations behind the idea of starting my own blogging journey, so she is someone I really look up to and admire a great deal (and she also happens to be an exceptional nice person too!) I obviously had great expectations of this book and so I was incredibly excited when I received a copy of 'Decorate'. Well it certainly did not disappoint in the slightest, in fact it's even better than I had imagined, if that could be possible.

This is by far one of my favourite interior books that I have read in a long time. co-authored by Joanna Copestick, this book beautifully translates Holly’s passion and enthusiasm for interiors, in which she has a fabulous creative eye that never fails her and it certainly shows in this book. ‘Decorate’ has become one of my ultimate favourite reads, brimming with inspiration I find myself unable to put it down. Full of beautiful decorative images and showcasing some stylish homes it is packed with fantastic tips on placing furniture, how to style a room and adding that extra individual style without breaking the bank. I love it how there is such a vast of selection of styles from natural & fleamarket style to modern glamour and eclectic.

There is also great creative advice from some of my favourite designers, Jonathan Adler, Abigail Ahern and Vincent wolf to name a few. The book itself is just sublime and the photography from Debi Treloar is stunning. I really do highly recommend this book as it basically is beautiful, inspirational, informative and just simply gorgeous. You couldn't expect any less from Holly :)

Monday, 21 March 2011

Congratulations to Stephibdesign who was randomly selected as the winner of Kelly Hoppen's new book 'Ideas'. I am sure you are going to enjoy all the lovely inspirational images that come along in this exceptionally stylish book. Thanks for all those that entered and better luck next time my lovelies ;)You can still buy the book at a very good price from Amazon.

Thursday, 17 March 2011

To mark my respect for this devastating time for the people of Japan I will be joining other bloggers for a day of silence tomorrow, March 18th in honour ofJapan. Organised by the bloggers of Ever Ours and Utterly Engaged, I think it is a great initiative to show our awareness at such a sad time like this. We really must do our best to help in any way possible. If you do have a blog then do join us by clicking here for details. If you also would like to donate then click here, every little gesture really does help.

After going on about my favourite collection from Zoe Murphy I wanted to talk about a few other collections that have caught my eye from Osborne & Little. I am loving the vast range and as always O&B never disappoints, I love going to their showroom so much. Anyway here is a round-up of some of my favourite collections...

Grand Tour Collection

This is probably one of my favourites. Gorgeous delicately drawn fabric & wallpaper designs which take inspiration from the artistic and architectural influences from Italy, especially Venice. Probably a big reason why in hindsight I am drawn to this, it's the beloved city of my grandmother.

Top left is the 'Loggia' wallpaper which is an absolute favourite of mine from the collection, £78.00 per roll. Another gorgeous print on the right is the 'Accademia' £41.50 per roll.

Top left you will find blind prints is the 'Vedute', £45 per metre, and wallpaper 'Colleoni', £46 per roll.

Xanadu Collection

I love this collection especially the two dramatic silk stripe fabrics coloured in the distinctive Lorca style. Stripes are so trendy right now whether it's in the fashion world or in interiors, and I rather like this trend.

Top left is a gorgeous colour way fabric 'Parana' stripe on wall £82 per metre, Sofa 'Dragon' £89 per metre, bottom edge 'Conga' £145 per metre, Cushions (left) 'Odalia' £120 per metre, (right) 'Samba' £120 per metre. Top right is another lovely colour way fabric, reminiscent of the sea, 'Xanadu stripe' on wall £82 per metre.

Karavansara Collection

A delicate and exotic collection full of silks and embroideries with orient influences. I find it very pretty indeed and very relaxing. The Kolam and Serai are my must haves.

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

I am loving Osborne & Little at the moment, so many exciting new collections that are just gorgeous. Now top of my list is the new Zoe Murphy furniture range that she has created for Osborne & Little, retro chic at it's best. I am a huge fan of her work, so was extremely excited to see this collection. I love the simplicity of the furniture pieces mixed with the vibrant colours and prints which give it the Zoe Murphy signature style, simply gorgeous. Inspired from her seaside home, Margate and mixed with the Osborne & Little spring collection colour palette, these are the beautiful results...

Monday, 14 March 2011

London Design Week started yesterday and I am extremely excited about this event! With over 400 showroom brands the Chelsea Design Centre is an absolute haven showcasing new collections, and if you are like me who goes weak at the knees at the sight of fabrics then this is the place for you. I cannot wait to look at luxurious brands such as Sahco, Donghia, Zimmer + Rohde, Sanderson and so many many more. A day is obviously not enough, so much to take in. Looking forward to the design lectures, in particular the Elle Decoration talk featuring Lee Broom. If you are in London then do make sure to pop by it's definitely an event you don't want to miss out. I will be reporting back after my expeditions to the showrooms and I cannot wait to share with you all of my highlights from the show.

So are you going? Have you been? your favourite collections? Tell me tell me, I do want to know. Here are a few teasers to whet your appetite.

Saturday, 12 March 2011

I hope you are all having a pleasant weekend, the weather was lovely here in London today. Had a delicious brunch with the husband and then a stroll around town, absolutely blissful! What made the start to my weekend even more special was an email I received from Jaime Derringer from Design Milk. She kindly gave me the news that I was listed as one of the '10 Best New Design blogs' on AOL's ShelterPop, which was selected by veteran bloggers. How cool is that?! A huge thank you to Holly from Decor8 who mentioned my blog as one of her favourite reads, I am completely gob-smacked!

Still reeling from this exciting news I wish you all a happy weekend with some gorgeous moodboards I put together, the combination of greys, taupes and blues are really rocking my boat at the moment! Thank you for also supporting my blog and I really do hope you find it inspiring in some way or another.

Friday, 11 March 2011

It's usually Friday inspiration on the blog but personally I am not feeling inspired today. Awakening to the sad news of the Japan earthquake & tsunami quickly swept away the happy feelings I usually get on a Friday. My thoughts and prayers are to all the people in Japan. Sitting here in front of my computer seems all so surreal and really puts the importance of life into perspective. I am finding it hard to function today, difficult not to watch it on tv and really worried of what is more to come.....

I pray for all the people in Japan, may they have strength and hope at this horrible time.

Thursday, 10 March 2011

Let me tell you about a great exhibition starting next week called 'Joy of Living'. For those not in the know, it is a charity project where over 100 designers will take part in showing their support for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres, a charity that helps people build a life beyond cancer. Author Max Fraser is the man behind this beautiful idea where upcoming and established designers will create artwork pieces that express the joy of living, all starting from a single sheet of A4 graph paper.

The signed works, will be exhibited and on sale in London’s Somerset House, 15th-26th March. The project aims to raise £50,000 for Maggies. Some of the designers involved include Terence Conran, Tom Dixon, Rob Ryan, Max Lamb to name just a few.

What I found touching about this exhibition was Max Fraser's personal reason behind his involvement. His mother went through a 6 year battle with cancer which made Max more determined to contribute in some way to help people fight against this disease. Where best to start but by helping the surroundings and building a good quality of life for suffering patients. It is for this reason that it is important supporting Maggie's.

There is a beautiful interview with Max Fraser over at Confessions of a Design Geek, please go and have a read, it is beautifully inspiring.